Vulcanizing apparatus



' Dec.H 7 1926. 1,609,510

G. w. ENO

VULGANIZING APPARATUS origina; Filed Jan. 17, 1922 lvzr ag/fl. 5607217710. v l

Patented Dec. 7, 17926.`

i-UNIT ED STAT-Es GEORGE w. juno.' OF VLos ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AssIeNonf'ro enonen'w. FNO nuisl BER COMPANY, OF LosANenLFs, CALIFORNIA;` A OORFORATION oF CALIFORNIA.

VULCANIZING APPARATUS.

`Application led January 17, 1922, .Serial No. 529,868. Renewed May V8, V19216. Y.

My invention relates yto .vulcanizing ap'- paratus and is particularly adapted for the vulcanizing of retreads7 to the wornfcarcasses of pneumatic vehicle tires.

In apparatus for the above mentioned pur-v pose it has been-the practice to provide a segmental hollow mandrel. into lwhich Vsteam is admitted and over which the used carcass which hasbeenrpreviously strippedof the old .tread rubber is mounted, then to place the retread over the carcass` having a'suitable layerof cement and sheet cushion gumxinterposed between theV abutting sur-` Afaces,`then to Wrapa tape or other binder Yaround the outer surface ofthe retread' and a segmental pressure member `arranged adjacent the 'inner peripheral surface of said mandrel, then to adjust the segmental member radially to exertv v an'y even pressure through lthe medium Aof the 'binding tapeto securely hold-the retread to the carcass during the vulcanizing process. Y ,1 A

vBy the use of the above described apparatus it hasonly beenpossible'tovulcanize f about one-sixth of a retread to a tire carcass at one time, mainlygfor the reasongthpat Y the segmental pressure member-,did notV exert' anl even uniform pressure on'V the retread mandrel.

' It is the object of my present invention ftoprovide a device that will exert an even and uniformv pressure on the retread and "tire carcass throughout the Ventire lengthof the hollow mandrel, thus rendering it :possible-to vulcanize at least. ,one-thirdof the circumferential length` of the*` retreadv to the lcarcass 1n a single4 operation, andrconse- Fig. 1 isa view partially linside elevati/on and partially in section showing the applica- Y tion ofmy invention.

- Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the same taken'on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig.- 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 3*-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged ntransverse section taken Von the line 1 -4 of Fig. 1.

Fi 5 is a detailface view of Oneof theA `auxiliary tightening members.

throughout the entire length `of the'hollow Y .old in the art'and forms-no specific part of kmy invention which contemplates an -Yim- V,proveurent on the same- InY the old con- ;n carryinggout my invention repref sents a suitable framecomprising thehorizontally disposed bar 11 having the oppositely disposed upwardly extending members 12 formed on its ends, the lowerextremities ofwhich are secured to transversely disposed angle irons which are ri idly sup# ported in anyV suitablemanner. Vfo the upper ends of members 12 is secured the hollow segmental mandrel 13 which is preferably circular in cross section and into which steam, for the purpose of-heating the same, mayl beadmitted and exhausted through the vpipes 14 and 15. Y Y y A Y Mounted in the arch formed by the. mandrel 13V is a pressure memberV 16 wvhichrpref-vr erably comprisesV the segmental rim 17 and connecting bar 18, theconnecting bar'being provided adjacent Aits ends with depending' Ylugs 19 adapted to slide in sockets 2O formed in bar 11 for'the purpose of guiding the rim 17 when moved upwardly Or`downwardly.- L .y f

The connecting bar 18 of'pressure member 16 is provided with. a centrally disposed aperture 21, andthe Vbar 11'is pro-vided with ,an aperture 22, and through .these laper-V turesis passed a bolt 23,'thehead 24 thereof being socketed inY a recess 25 formed in bar 11, of approximately the same shape as said.

headyin order"that the said 'vboltwill.A be

preventedy fromturning- Interposed between the bars `-18 and-11 andrsurroun'ding bolt 23 is a spring26` which servesto nor-y mally hold the segmental'rim 17 adjacent is a nut, 27 for thepurpose yof adjustingthe vpressure member.V f Y f y.,

The foregoing .described `construction 1s struction, however, Athe man drelsegment 1,3

and the rimvsegment 17 are of a length equal Y to slightly -over one-sixth of the circumference, while in my construction (as shown) thesejelements are of a length of Vslightly over` one-third of the circumference.

In the'operation of the old apparatus as described, the old tire carcass 26 is irst stripped of all of the worn rubber and vthe mandrel 13,-'and threaded on to said bolt f thoroughly cleaned. It is then placed on the f mandrel, a sheet or layer of gum 28 is then cemented to the surface of the carcasa-the vretread 29 being cemented'to the layer of gum. A, tape binder is then wound around the retread and the segmental rim 17. `The segmental rim is then drawn downwardly by an `adjustmentof the nut 27, thus tightening the tape and holding `the .retread tightly in contact with the gum and carcass.` Steam is then admitted into the mandrel for a sufficient lengt-h of time to vulcanize the retreadto `the carcass. operation has to be performed six times in order tocomplete `the vulcanization of the enti-re retread, for the reason `that a segmental rimof greater circular length would not pull evenly on the tape binder to give an equal pressure on the retread.`

My invention as stated before contemplates the provision of means whereby only three `vulcanizing operations will be `necessary to complete theretreading oftheentire casing` carcass, `and comprises the oppositely disposed auxiliary pressure members or lever yarms Owhich are pivoted to the segmental 4rim-17 by means of the pins 3.1,fthe free ends of said lever arms extending outwardly and being `bifurcat-ed to form two Y arms which `straddle `the bar 18,\as more `clearly shown in Figs; 2 and 5 of the drawings.

The lever `arms 30 are channel shaped, the side walls of said channels being adapted `to straddle the -rim 17 and the bottom or connecting wallbeing a-daptedto normally rest vclosely adjacent theinner peripheral surface of the rim. Each of the lever arms 30 is provided with lugsBQ having perforations provided therein for the reception of the hooked ends 33 ofthe inwardly projectingrods 34, the oppositely disposed ends ot the rods being provided with right and rleft handed threads which areengaged by aturnbuckle 35,` for operating the lever arms. By the above described construction it will be obvious `that-the bindingtap'e 36 `may be wound around thesegmentalrim 17 at its center and around "the lever `arms 30 disposed at the ends of said rim. Y

After the binding tape 36 has been wound around the segmental rim and lever arms as described, the nut 27 isadjusted` to draw `the rim 17 inwardly and the'turnbuckle 35 is rotated to draw the lever arms SOinWardly towards each other to compensate `for the shorter distance of movement of the segmental rim at its extremities. Thus it will This be seen that the tape binding 36 will exert an even and uniform pressure on the retread. through the entire length of the hollow mandrel, which is `approximately one-third of the circumference of the retread.

What I claim is:

1.`A`vulcanizing apparatus, comprising a segmental mandrel, a pressure exerting device mounted adjacent the inner peripheral surface of said mandrel, means for moving said pressure exerting device in an approximately uniform manner with respect to the outer peripheral surface of saidA mandrel towards the axis thereof, and auxiliary Vpressure i devices connected to said first named pressure device` adapted to be oper-` ated `independently of said firstv named device, whereby to exert in conjunction with said first named device an even and uniform pressure on aretread throughout the entire length of the segmental mandrel.

2. `A vuleanizing apparatus, comprising a segmental metallic mandrel, a- Vpressure exerting member mounted adjacent said mandrel,fauxiliary pressure members pivotally mounted thereon, and means foroperating said pivoted pressureanembers.

3. A `vulcanizing apparatus, comprising a segmental mandrel, a segmental pressure exerting member` mounted adjacent said segmental` .mandreh a pairfrof oppositely disposedpressure exerting members mounted onand adjacent the ends of said segmental pressure member, means for operating said segmental pressure` member.` and means for operating said oppositelydisposed pressure members. i

4. A vulcanizing apparatus, comprising a-segmental mandrel, a segmental pressure exerting member mounted adjacent said segmental mandreha pair ofoppositely disposed lever arms pivotedonsaid segmental pressure member adjacent theends' thereof, meansfor movingl said segmental pressure member towardand fromltheV axis thereof, and means connecting said lever arms :together for moving them in unison on their pivots. i 1

In Witness that I claim the foregoing'I have hereunto subscribed `my name this 16th dayiof December, `1921.

eno. lW. `nivo. 

